US Navy Develops a Technique to Produce Jet Fuel from Sea Water

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington is working to develop a
system that can produce jet fuel from seawater.

Last year the US Naval Military Sea Lift Command, the main fuel supplier to
Naval vessels that are at sea, delivered around 600 million gallons to ships
that were on the open water.

Refuelling is a very difficult and dangerous procedure when two vessels are
at sea, especially if the seas are rough, or there is a storm, or even in the
middle of a fire fight. Yet it is also vital as running out of fuel would be
devastating to a naval ship in action.

The NRL has designed a system which harvests carbon dioxide and hydrogen,
the raw ingredients of jet fuel, from the seawater. NRL discovered that gathering
carbon dioxide from the seawater was far more efficient than getting it from
the air because the concentration in seawater is 140 times greater. The hydrogen
and carbon dioxide go through several processes to create olefins (a hydrocarbon),
and then two more steps to turn the olefins into suitable jet fuel.

So far the lab tests have indicated that the process will produce jet fuel
at a cost of around $3 - $6 per gallon. Now all that is needed is large scale
tests on the open sea.

Information/Articles and Prices on a wide range of commodities: We
have assembled a team of experienced writers to provide you with information
on Crude Oil, Oil Price History, Gold Prices, etc... In a format that appeals
to both novices and industry professionals.